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Previously, we discussed our iconic pop queens and how their songs typically fit into distinct categories that hit an emotional button that appeals to gay men.
In this episode, we kick off the inaugural Gay Icons deep dive with none other than…Kylie Minogue. The highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, Kylie’s career has spanned five decades and taught us how to be vulnerable and resilient.
Additional Resources:
Snarky Opener (0:00)
So, I'm not saying that I have a better taste in music than most American gays, but what I am saying is that my 2021 Spotify Wrapped said that I was in the top 0.05% of Kylie Mnogue's listeners. So do with that information what you will.
Episode Introduction (0:33)
Hello, my LGBTQuties, and welcome back to another episode of A Jaded Gay.
I'm Rob Loveless and, today, I am a non-jaded gay because it is officially spooky season. We're in October, Halloween is on the horizon. And I am excited because this is probably my favorite time of year.
Bring on the scary movies, the pumpkin patches, the haunted houses, the pumpkin spice everything. I am here for it.
And I'm also very excited for today's episode.
Kylie Minogue (0:57)
So, as you remember, way back when, in episode four, we discussed pop icons and their gay emotional appeal.
And following that, I wanted to create a gay icons series where, every now and then, we'll do a deep dive on a gay icon.
And for our inaugural episode, I am excited to be talking about Kylie Minogue. And I'm pretty sure I just heard all the American gays say, Who's that?
And to that, I say, show some goddamn respect. In all seriousness, though, odds are you probably know who Kylie Minogue is.
She's huge overseas and has had a few hit songs in the United States, but unfortunately, she never received the same attention in America as she has in Europe and Australia.
And for myself, personally, I knew a couple of her songs, but in 2018, 2019, I really became a lover, which is what she calls her fans.
And aside from her outstanding discography, I think her career through the decades is really interesting. So, I'm really excited to get into this topic today.
But before we do, you know the drill. Let's pull our tarot.
Tarot (1:53)
So, we drew the Two of Wands. And as you remember, Wands is tied to the element of fire. It's masculine energy, so it's very action-oriented.
And Wands, you could kind of think of our inner magic. It's tied to creativity, passion, sometimes sexuality. And on the card, we see a figure looking pensively at something in his hand.
Looks like an orb of fire, and he's holding a wand, and there's a wand seated next to him. He's gazing out over the horizon, and his back is facing us.
And in numerology, the number two is tied to partnership, duality, and choosing. So, when we get this card in reverse, it's really kind of indicating that we might be feeling impatient or there's a lack of planning going on.
And this lack of planning, it could be that we're very excited, and because we're so excited, we're acting without thinking, we're just acting reactively.
And when we move forward too quickly, if what we want doesn't occur, then we might just give up on it. So, we need to slow down and take the time to really assess the actions we're taking.
That way we can make sure that we're putting in the right effort to move forward and we're not getting discouraged.
And it's also a reminder that, you know, maybe when it comes to taking action, it might also be indicating that we're waiting on somebody else to take action that will then set our own action into motion, but maybe it's a reminder that we're the ones that need to be taking the first step and taking the action first, instead of waiting on others.
Look at what we can control in our lives and what actions we can take that will help fulfill us. And again, when we're thinking about things that will fulfill us, we need to take the time to look inward and focus on what our own goals are.
What do we really view as important? You know, we need to filter out the noise of what people are telling us to do, and what they're saying is important and look at what will make us happy in terms of what we want to achieve for ourselves, for our own validation, without trying to seek the validation of others.
And if we're at a crossroads where maybe there's two decisions and we're not really sure what to do, we need to ask ourselves what we really want.
We need to ask ourselves what direction will take us to help fulfill our dreams. And while it can be scary to take action and step out into the unknown, there could be a large payoff in the end.
So, we shouldn't be reluctant. You know, we can't be afraid. We can't always be the big fish in the small pond.
Sometimes, we need to step outside our comfort zones to unlock future potential of what we can achieve.
And we just need to make sure that we're aligned inside, that we're listening to ourselves and understanding what we want to make sure that, even though the action might be a little challenging and it might make us feel a bit uncomfortable, that it ultimately is aligning with where we want to go.
If it's something that we're looking at and it doesn't align with what we want, then we shouldn't put ourselves in that position.
But if it is something that really aligns with our true goals, then we need to just embrace the momentary discomfort and just have faith that the steps we're taking are leading us to a better tomorrow.
And as we go through this episode, I think you'll definitely see some tie-ins from the tarot regarding Kylie Minogue's career and how she really kind of took the reins of who she wanted to be and kind of filtered out the noise.
So, let's get right into it.
Early Life (4:30)
Let's step back in time, and that's a Kylie reference, by the way, to May 28, 1968. Kylie Ann Minogue was born in Melbourne, Australia.
Her mother was a former ballet dancer, and her father was an accountant for a car company. She's the oldest of three siblings.
Her younger brother is a news cameraman in Australia, and her younger sister, Dannii, is also a singer. And Neon Nights is an incredible album, let me tell you.
Anyway, when Kylie was 10, her aunt arranged for Dannii to meet producers for an upcoming show and audition for them.
However, they felt that Dannii was too young, but they ended up giving Kylie a minor role in a soap opera called The Sullivans.
So, from 1979 to 1985, Kylie continued appearing in small roles. And then, in 1986, she found success starring as Charlene Mitchell in the soap opera Neighbours.
And as a result, she ended up winning four Logie awards in 1988. And, essentially, these are kind of Australia's version of the Emmys.
So, she was the first person to win four Logies in one year and the youngest person ever to win the Gold Logie as the country's most popular television performer.
And then, in 1987, she first dipped her toes into music.
Career Beginnings (5:33)
So, a few years earlier, in 1985, she had given her first television singing performance on a show called Young Talent Time.
So, in 1986, she performed the songs I Got You Babe, which you probably know from Sonny and Cher and The Loco-Motion, at a Fitzroy Football Club benefit concert.
She then recorded a demo version of The Loco-Motion, which was sent to Mushroom Records, who then signed her.
They re-recorded Kylie's demo of the song with a whole new backing track inspired by the high-energy pop of Dead or Alive, and it ended up being released on July 13, 1987.
And it became one of the biggest-selling Australian records of the 1980s, and it went to number one in the country.
The success of this led Kylie to being signed by PWL Records in London, which would handle the distribution and promotion of her music in the UK.
So, she began working on her debut album and released another single ahead of its release on December 29, 1987, called I Should Be So Lucky.
And this was also a massive hit and went number one in Australia and the UK. And it actually charted in the United States as well.
It peaked at number 28 on the US Hot 100 and number 10 on the US Dance Chart. And funny enough, you know, a couple years back, my parents were out visiting, and I was just playing Kylie Minogue on shuffle.
And this song came on, and my mom recognized it, so it was a hit in the 80s. People definitely knew her music, and she had a couple other hits later on that people would recognize.
So, she was definitely recognized in the United States, although there's kind of decades between some of her bigger hits. So, people don't necessarily connect the dots with that.
Anyway, she released a third single on May 2, 1988, called Got to Be Certain, which went number one in Australia and number two in the UK. Love this song. It's a lot of fun.
And finally, on July 4, 1988, she released her debut album, Kylie. It peaked at number two in Australia, number one in the UK, and number 53 in the US. And it received mixed reviews.
Her label then remixed The Loco-Motion and reissued it outside of Australia on July 28, 1988.
So, this is over a year after it was originally released. It ended up going to number two in the UK, number three on the US Hot 100, and number 12 on the US Dance Chart.
And odds are, if you hear this remixed version of The Loco-Motion, you'll probably recognize it.
Anyway, she ended up releasing two other singles from that first album:
So, definitely give that a listen. And actually, this will be in the show notes. I put together a playlist of all my favorite Kylie Minogue songs, including the ones we're talking about today.
So definitely, definitely, definitely listen to it. Highly recommend.
Anyway, following that, she released a duet titled Especially for You with Jason Donovan, who was her Neighbour's co-star and her then-boyfriend in real life.
And the song went to number two in Australia and number one in the UK. Another great Kylie classic. Love it.
And despite the mixed reviews from her album, she had three number-one singles in Australia and two in the UK. So, the groundwork was set for her pop career already.
And a little over a year later, Kylie released her second album, Enjoy Yourself, on October 9, 1989. Once again, she received mixed reviews, and the album only charted at number nine in Australia, but it did go number one in the UK.
And it also spawned four singles, which did pretty well. There was:
However, neither the album nor any of the singles charted in the US, and as a result, her American record label actually dropped her.
Kylie Minogue as a Gay Icon (8:57)
But despite this, she was still regarded as a gay icon from early on in her career.
Kylie herself explained that she first recognized that she had a gay following in 1988 when several drag queens performed her music.
And, you'll remember, we previously had the episode on pop icons and their gay emotional appeal, and we talked about the book Straight Jacket by Matthew Todd.
In that book, he actually has a little write-up about Kylie, so I'm going to read from it:
“Kylie’s appeal to gay audiences is legendary and again taken for granted. But why? Why is it that so many young gay boys respond with devotion to her and not to other artists? She’s pretty and vulnerable, and I think a significant part of it is that the majority of Kylie’s early output fits into the “I’m not good enough” category. I should be so lucky is one of the ultimate victim anthems. Think of the lyrics if you a free skeptical. It describes exactly how I and much of her audience would have felt: both worthy, not good enough, never able to actually get the man.”
And for those of you who are unfamiliar, here are some of the lyrics from I Should Be So Lucky:
In my imagination
There is no hesitation
We walk together hand in hand
I'm dreaming
You fell in love with me
Like I'm in love with you
But dreaming's all I do
If only they'd come true
I should be so lucky in love
Now, there are a few more luckys in the chorus that I'm not reading, or also I'll end up singing the whole song, and nobody wants to hear that, but you get the gist of the vulnerability in there.
And even though the lyrics are pretty serious, it's a really upbeat, fun dance song. It's not sad, but it definitely still conveys that feeling of vulnerability and not good enough within the song.
Kylie Minogue’s Evolution in the ‘90s (10:21)
And going into the 90s, Kylie maintained this vulnerability but with a slightly more adult image. She was no longer the girl next door as she had been portrayed at the beginning of her career.
So, remember, October 1989, she releases Enjoy Yourself, and its last single, Tears On My Pillow, was released on January 8, 1990.
So fast forward to just a few months later, April 30, 1990, and Kylie releases a new single called Better the Devil You Know, which is an absolute bop. Capital B-O-P.
So, for those of you who aren't familiar with the idiom, Better the Devil You Know is short for it's better the devil you know than the devil you don't know.
And basically, this means it's better to be in a bad situation that's familiar than trying something unknown or unfamiliar because that could be scary.
And wow, doesn't that sound familiar to our tarot today? And I didn't even plan that. Anyway, that theme is evident in the song's lyrics, which alludes to longing for a lover who's left you.
She sings:
I'll forgive and forget
If you say you'll never go
'Cause it's true what they say
It's better the devil you know
And this song really tied into her personal life at the time. As she was working on the song, she announced that she was leaving the show Neighbours.
And around that time, her relationship with her then-boyfriend, Michael Hutchence, ended as well. And the overall sound of the music was more mature compared to her previous songs, and critics ate it up.
Still, it peaked at number four in Australia and number two in the UK, but it was a massive hit. The music video also helped contribute to a more mature image.
In it, she's wearing more revealing clothing and dancing a bit more provocatively, and the video was a major milestone in her career.
And for all these reasons, this is why Better the Devil You Know is one of my absolute favorite songs of hers.
And yes, in 2019, almost 30 years after its release, I did, in fact, play the song on a loop following a bad breakup, and I'm not even sorry about it.
Anyway, this song served as the lead single from her next album, Rhythm of Love, which was released on November 12, 1990.
Now, this album was not as commercially successful as her past endeavors, but it was met with generally positive reviews from critics.
It charted at number 10 in Australia and number nine in the UK, and this was her first album to not hit number one on the UK charts. So, the first of three to not hit number one.
Still, it spawned three other successful singles:
And while this wasn't her most commercially successful era, the album's promotion and music videos continued to solidify her more mature image. And a couple things about this era I'd like to call out.
There is a video of Kylie performing Better the Devil You Know to a room of mostly old, straight white men in suits who just look so indifferent and bored, but she is just belting it out and dancing and strutting around. So, a word of wisdom to y'all be as brave as Kylie Minogue.
And number two, a couple years ago, I saw this on Twitter. There was a video floating around.
I actually think it is from a porno, but the part of the video on Twitter is these two lovers, they're hanging out, of course, the one is shirtless, and he's reciting lyrics from the song Shocked to the other. And, well, this dialogue occurs:
"Wow, that was beautiful. Did you write that?"
"No, I got it from a song by Kylie Minogue. But when I heard it, I thought of you." "Really?" "Really."
"I love you, Tyler."
"I love you, too."
So yeah, a good laugh. Anyway, as we progress into the '90s, Kylie releases another album, Let's Get to It in 1991.
Honestly, not my favorite album by her. A couple good songs on it, but kind of something I kind of float over sometimes.
And this was followed by a greatest hits album in 1992, which is interesting considering she was only four years into her career and releasing that greatest hits album.
Anyway, Let's Get to It as an album didn't do great in the charts, and it didn't even break into the top 10, and it was met with mixed reviews.
And, supposedly, there was some commentary that her more mature, provocative image wasn't being accepted by the public, which is why the album didn't do well.
And her UK record company, Pete Waterman Limited, did not renew her contract following Let's Get to Its release since they did not believe Kylie's career was moving in a successful direction.
And actually, Kylie said that the record label and the songwriters she had typically worked with under the label were treating her very much like a puppet.
So, we're gonna fast forward. The year's 1993, and I was born.
But also, besides my birth, that year, she signed to a UK Dance label called Deconstruction Records and worked with some new songwriters who worked on some crossover tracks that integrated pop and dance music while adding some experimental sounds.
And on August 29, 1994, Kylie released a song called Confide in Me, which would serve as the lead single from her album Kylie Minogue, which would be released the following month.
And I love this song. It's sultry, it's sensual, it's a bit spiritual, and it has some Middle Eastern flavor to it. And, lyrically, it talks about Kylie manipulating people into confiding in her through her seduction.
And William Baker, who wrote a biography about Kylie's career, said that the song symbolizes an internal power struggle that rages beneath her surface and that she is both puppet and Puppet Master.
And this song was met with critical acclaim and performed well on the charts. It went to number one in Australia, number two in the UK, and number 39 on the US dance charts.
And remember, she hadn't charted in America since The Loco-Motion in 1988. And unfortunately, she wouldn't chart there again until 2001, but let's not get too ahead of ourselves.
The album Kylie Minogue was met with positive reviews and noted her improved vocals and increasingly mature image.
The album charted at number three in Australia and number four in the UK, and it spawned two additional singles which were moderately successful. There was:
And now we're going to fast forward to 1997, and this is where things get a little bumpy.
So, Kylie continued with the experimental sound in her next album, Impossible Princess, which was released on October 22, 1997.
Sonically, this album was a departure from her previous work, and it had a darker, rockier sound, and it went deeper in themes regarding self-expression, relationships, and emotions.
The album charted at number four in Australia and number 11 in the UK. And it spawned four singles that did okay, but not compared to her previous success.
So, the first was Some Kind of Bliss, that peaked at number 27 in Australia and number 22 in the UK. And this song is amazing. It's one of my favorites by her.
In the lyrics, she says, every day is all there is in my some kind of bliss. Kind of inspired my closing tag of my podcast.
And just the sound, I just love it. It's really good, and it definitely deserved to chart higher than what it did.
Then there was also:
So even though the album and the singles didn't do terrible, reception to the album was split. In the UK, it was received poorly and criticized for the change in sound.
And the British public was unimpressed by her new musical direction. And interestingly enough, today's reviewers who look back on the album have given it more positive reviews because it is a good album.
It's just not the classic Kylie that everybody knew at the time. But in 1997, the album was not received well and was so highly criticized, Kylie considered retiring altogether just shy of 30.
So, she left Deconstruction Records in November 1998 and took a brief hiatus from music.
Kylie Minogue’s Pop Comeback & International Stardom (17:37)
And in June 1999, Parlophone signed Kylie, and she expressed she was interested in returning to her pop roots.
Apparently, at this time, she was inspired by songs in Grease as well as Donna Summer's Bad Girls and Dim All the Lights.
And when she was working on the album, she explained to producers that the three categories she categorized the musical styles were poolside, disco, and cocktails.
So right there, you're already appealing to the gays. And the result?
On June 19, 2000, she released a song called Spinning Around as the lead single from her upcoming album, Light Years.
It's a fun dance-pop, disco song you can shake your tits to. And, lyrically, the song is about Kylie's comeback and the theme of reinvention.
So, here's a few lyrics from it:
Traded in my sorrow for some joy that I borrowed
From back in the day
Threw away my old clothes, got myself a better wardrobe
I got something to say
I'm through with the past, ain't no point in looking back
The future will be
And did I forget to mention that I found a new direction
And it leads back to me?
I'm spinning around, move out of my way
I know you're feeling me 'cause you like it like this
I'm breaking it down, I'm not the same
I know you're feeling me 'cause you like it like this
The song was also accompanied by a hot music video. Kylie struts into a club in gold booty shorts. She's dancing with a gaggle of gays, and she's serving some fun choreo.
And it was considered a return to form for Kylie and was met with positive reviews. Commercially, it went to number one in both Australia and the UK.
It was her first number-one in Australia since 1994's Confide in Me and her first in the UK since 1990's Tears on My Pillow.
Also, fun fact, Paul Abdul was one of the writers of Spinning Around, and it was originally intended for her, but later went to Kylie.
So, a few months later, on September 22, 2000, Kylie released the album Light Years, which incorporated Euro-pop and disco elements, and it was also met with positive reviews.
It became her first album to hit number one in Australia, and it hit number two in the UK, which was her highest charting album since 1989's Enjoy Yourself.
She released four other singles which were commercially successful:
And that seems low, and it's because it wasn't officially released as a single there since her label considered it to be too gay and too camp.
Anyway, this album really revitalized her career and set her up for even greater global success.
So, from March to May 2001, Kylie promotes the album through her On a Night Like This tour, and during it, she premiered a new song that was officially released as a single on September 8, 2001.
And it's a little song you may have heard of called Can't Get You Out of My Head. And if you think you don't know the song, you're wrong. You definitely do.
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
And it became a massive hit and one of her signature songs. It went number one in over 40 countries, including Australia and the UK.
And, plot twist, it peaked at number seven in the US and topped the US dance chart.
This was her biggest single in the United States since The Loco-Motion in 1988, and its accompanying album, Fever, was released internationally on October 1, 2001, and went number one in Australia and the UK.
It received generally favorable reviews, and between the success of Can't Get You Out of My Head and Fever, it resulted in the album being released in the United States through Capitol Records.
And just to remind you, this was her first album released in the United States in 13 years. And it peaked at number three on the charts, her highest charting album here ever.
And in his biography of Kylie, Chris True from AllMusic stated that the release of the album and lead single, Can't Get You Out of My Head, cemented her position as an international music icon.
Kylie released three other successful singles from this album. In Your Eyes, which went to number one in Australia and number three in the UK. It didn't chart in the United States, though, just because it wasn't released there at the time.
The next is Love at First Sight, which you also probably know this one too. Peaked at number three in Australia, number two in the UK, number 23 in the United States, and number one on the US Dance Charts.
Lastly, from the album is Come into My World, number four in Australia, number eight in the UK, number 91 in the US, and number 20 on the US Dance Charts.
And I'd like to add that the music videos for these songs are iconic. Also, these songs, they're fun, they're dancey, they're sexy, but there's still that sense of vulnerability.
I mean, Come into My World as equal parts sensual and vulnerable. Here's a few of the lyrics:
Take these arms that were made for loving
And this heart that will beat for two
Take these eyes that were meant for watching over you
And I've been such a long time waiting
For someone I could call my own
I've been chasing the life I'm dreaming, now I'm home (I'm home)
I need your love
Like night needs morning
So, won't you come, come, come into my world?
Won't you lift me up, up, high upon your, high upon your love?
She also received her first Grammy nomination in 2003 for Best Dance Recording for Love at First Sight. She lost in 2003 but won in this category the following year for Come into My World.
So, following the success, she released another greatest hits album in 2002, followed by a new album titled Body Language on November 17, 2003.
It peaked at number two in Australia, number eight in the UK, and number 42 in the United States. And its lead single, Slow, went to number one in Australia, the UK, and the United States Dance Charts and peaked at number 91 on the US Hot 100.
And to date, this is her last song to chart on the US Hot 100, although she has been successful on the US Dance and Sales Charts.
She then released two other singles from this album, Red Blooded Woman and Chocolate, which were successful in Australia and the UK, although only Red Blooded Woman charted on the US Dance Chart, which is a sin because Chocolate is amazing.
That's another one you need to give listen to. Anyway, to follow up, in 2004, she releases another greatest hits album called Ultimate Kylie, which had two new singles, I Believe in You and Giving You Up.
And both were top 10 hits in Australia, the UK, and the US dance charts.
Health Battle and the “Kylie Effect” (23:29)
And in March 2005 she embarks on her Showgirl: The Greatest Hits tour.
And two months later, in May, she was forced to cancel the show because at the age of 36, almost 37, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
She underwent surgery and chemo, and she resumed the tour on November 2006 with alterations made to her set list, choreography, and costumes to accommodate her medical state.
And Kylie's diagnosis and her public discussion about her health had a societal impact.
In fact, a few studies were even carried out looking at how publicity around her case resulted in more women undergoing regular checks for cancer symptoms.
Furthermore, French Cultural Minister Christine Albanel said:
"Doctors now even go as far as saying there is a 'Kylie effect' that encourages young women to have regular checks."
Dance-Pop Resurgence with X and Aphrodite (24:12)
After finishing the tour, Kylie began work on her tenth studio album titled X. Get it? Roman numeral X. And released it on November 21, 2007.
It was more dance-pop and electronic sounding, and it received mixed reviews, but it still went to number one in Australia and number four in the UK. But it didn't do so well in the States.
She released five singles from this album, and its lead single, 2 Hearts, topped the charts in Australia and peaked at number four in the UK.
The other four singles were:
And they all did okay. Interestingly enough, though, All I See didn't chart anywhere except the US Dance Charts, where it peaked at number three.
And that's surprising because not that that's not a good song, but I'd say the other singles were definitely better.
Anyway, here's another fun fact for you. One of the producers of In My Arms was none other than Calvin Harris.
Also, I love The One, both the album version and the single version, which was remixed by the Freemasons.
And again, another sin that it didn't perform better on the charts. Y'all really let that one flop. Shame on you.
And on June 30, 2010, she released another album, Aphrodite, which peaked at number two in Australia, number one in the UK, and number 19 in the US.
And this was more dance-pop and disco-sounding, and it received favorable reviews. Four singles were released from the album, which did okay, but not great. There was:
And Get Outta My Way, you probably know that song. When I was in high school, I was working at Aéropostale in the mall, and they played that song nonstop.
And it's definitely an earworm and I'm pretty sure, like, everyone's familiar with that. And I think she actually performed it on Dancing with the Stars, too, around that time.
Now, interestingly enough, these singles all went to number one on the US Dance Chart.
And in 2012, she released a non-album single called Timebomb, which also went to number one on the US dance chart.
So, she had five consecutive number ones in the US.
Later Career (25:59)
Fast forwarding a bit. On March 14, 2014, she released the album Kiss Me Once, which was met with generally positive reviews, and critics claimed it was Kylie's return to contemporary pop.
And this was her first and only album with Roc Nation, which was handled by Jay-Z. And among the songwriters and producers enlisted on working on this album were Sia and Pharrell Williams.
So, the album did okay and went to number one in Australia and number two in the UK. But its two singles, Into the Blue, and I Was Gonna Cancel, didn't do great on the charts.
But Into the Blue did go to number one on the US dance chart, which is kind of surprising. Good song, but surprising.
And in December 2015, Kylie parted with Parlophone, which had been her label since 1999, due to this album's performance.
Now, she did release a Christmas album called Kylie Christmas in November of that year under the label before her departure.
So then fast forward to April 6, 2018, and Kylie released the album Golden, which was very different for her. It was a country-pop album, and the majority of it was recorded in Nashville.
And this was her first album since Impossible Princess in 1997, where she co-wrote every track, and she described Golden as one of her most personal efforts.
It received generally favorable reviews, and it topped the charts in Australia and the UK. Despite this, its five singles didn't really do much on the charts, although the lead single, Dancing, did go to number one on the US Dance Chart.
And this is really random, but the gym I go to, they play this song all the time. Like, I remember when this album came out, this song was always playing there, which really didn't seem to fit the vibe.
And literally, just last week, they were playing this. And I mean, love the song, but like, this is the gym I was called a homo at, so it's a little surprisingly played out there.
Anyway, we're gonna fast forward a bit again. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, on November 6, 2020, Kylie did what she does best and released a disco album titled, wait for it, Disco.
She actually recorded the majority of this album during lockdown in her home studio and learned how to record and engineer her own vocals using Logic Pro.
And this album received positive reviews. It went to number one in Australia and the UK, and this is a big deal because it became her eighth album in the UK to top the charts.
And in doing so, she became the first female artist to earn a number-one album in the UK in five consecutive decades. So, we have the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020.
And it was also her third-highest charting album in the United States.
She released three singles from this album, which charted in the top 20 of the US dance charts, but they didn't do much in the UK despite being absolute bops.
And this is especially surprising since her third single from the album, Real Groove, was remixed and featured Dua Lipa, who is riding a successful wave from her own disco-inspired album, Future Nostalgia, which was released in March 2020.
And in 2021, she reissued a special edition of the album, which spawned three new singles with featured artists Years & Years, Jesse Ware, and none other than Gloria Gaynor.
And career-wise, most recently, she returned to her character Charlene on Neighbours alongside former colleague and boyfriend Jason Donovan for the show's final episode.
And hopefully, she's working on new music, too.
Episode Closing (29:00)
But aside from Kylie being iconic and making great music, I just really love the story of her career, you know, the ups and the downs.
She's someone who's always reinvented herself and remained resilient, overcoming challenges and negative reviews, to come back bigger and better every single time.
And, at 54 years old, she's still killing it. She's the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide.
And over the course of her career, she's won three BRIT Awards and 17 ARIA awards, in addition to her Grammy.
And as far as gay emotions go, I think we can really learn from her sense of vulnerability while remaining resilient and strong.
I mean, especially in those early years, a lot of the lyrics have to do with vulnerability, not feeling good enough.
A lot of those songs, she's communicating that in an upbeat, dancey song. And especially as her career progressed, you know, in the 90s, you saw her taking more creative control over her work with albums like Kylie Minogue and Impossible Princess.
She was putting out the music she wanted to, and like in our tarot, she took the action she wanted to and put out the music she was inspired by.
And even though at the time it got negative reviews, she was making the choices that aligned with what she was feeling and what felt right for her path forward.
And I think it really pays off because, you know, again, with Impossible Princess, it got negative reviews at the time, but in retrospective reviews, people are eating it up. It's a really great album.
And even though there was some negativity around it at the time, ultimately, it set her up for the path of Light Years, of Fever, of Body Language, which were all massive hits and massive comebacks for her with those albums, those singles, and it helped align her so that she could constantly reinvent her image, reinvent her sound, and come back more successful each and every time.
So, I think we can really take a chapter out of her book that, you know, while it might be scary to be vulnerable at times, ultimately, it makes us stronger.
Even when we're hurt, even when we get negativity for it, it, it helps us be stronger so that we can come back bigger and better.
And so, connecting to the tarot, we have to make our own actions. We can't be afraid.
Be as brave as Kylie Minogue was when she performed Better the Devil You Know in front of all those bored, straight white men in suits.
I know I'm making a joke there, but in all seriousness, we can't wait for others to take action for us to react to.
We need to look within and figure out what we're aligned with and figure out what actions we can take for ourselves to help push ourselves forward on the path to success for us.
Whether it's success in a career, success in a relationship, success in just our spiritual or personal journey, but we have to figure out what that action is, and we can't be afraid.
Even when we come to a crossroads and don't know what decision to make, we need to look to see which decision is aligned most closely with what we want.
Even though it might be scary and we might be stepping out of our comfort zone, we have to know that, as long as we're making a decision that is aligning to the goals we've set for ourselves, then we don't have to be afraid.
It might be uncomfortable for a bit, but we too will come back bigger and better every time.
Connect with A Jaded Gay (31:36)
So, thank you all for listening. I hope you found this really interesting.
Like I said, in the show notes, there's a link to a Spotify playlist of all my favorite Kylie Minogue songs.
So definitely take the time to listen to it because she is a legend, one that gets slept on a lot in the United States, and I want to fix that.
Anyway, please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast. You can also send me an email rob@ajadedgay.com.
You can also connect with the podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok at @ajadedgaypd. And you can connect with me, Rob Loveless on Instagram @rob_loveless, or on Twitter @robjlloveless.
And remember, every day is all we have, so you got to make your own happiness.
Mmm-bye.
Outtake (32:39)
But dreaming's all I do, if only they'd come true. I should be so lucky. I should be so lucky in love.
And there are a few more luckys in the chorus, but I'm not going to read it, or else I'll end up singing it.
You know, because it goes, I should be so lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky. I should be so lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky.
There, I did it. I warned you. And I did it. I'm sorry.
